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How to Start Walking 2K a Day for Weight Loss

A. McDougall

About the Author:

A. McDougall

A. McDougall is an editor, writer and athlete. McDougall is a marathon coach certified by the North American Academy for Sport Fitness Professionals and an American College of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer. McDougall has edited and written for several national magazines.

Getting active is the key to getting fit and losing weight. If you struggle to walk for any distance, work your way up to a 2-kilometer, or 1-1/4-mile, walk in gradual increments. Do this workout six days per week, with one rest day per week. Once you're able to walk 2 kilometers at a brisk pace you can maintain this as your daily workout or use it as a starting point for increased exercise.

Walk with a partner for added motivation.
(Image: Comstock/Stockbyte/Getty Images)

Step 1

Warm up before your workout by walking at an easy pace for five minutes.

Step 2

Walk briskly for five minutes following your warmup during the first three weeks of your program.

Step 3

Track the distance that you walk using a pedometer, a GPS device or by walking on a course with a known distance.

Step 4

Increase your brisk walk by five minutes after three weeks. Continue increasing the walk by five minutes every three weeks until you are walking 2 kilometers or 1-1/4 miles.

Step 5

Cool down with a five-minute easy walk after each workout.

Step 6

Estimate your calorie burn from your workout. A 120-pound person burns 85 calories per mile, or 107 calories in 2 kilometers; a 160-pound person burns 105 calories per mile or 131 calories in 2 kilometers; a 180-pound person burns 115 calories in a mile or 144 calories per 2 kilometers; and a 200-pound person burns 125 calories in a mile or 156 calories in 2 kilometers.

Step 7

Create a daily calorie deficit of 500 to 1,000 calories per day between your exercise and reduced calorie intake for safe weight loss at a rate of one to two pounds per week. For example, if you burn 156 calories from walking, you need to reduce your calorie intake by 344 calories to create a 500-calorie deficit.